date: Wednesday March 23 2005 embargo: immediate

Attention: industrial

Public sector unions welcome pensions summit with government

Public sector unions met this morning at the TUC headquarters. They welcomed an invitation from Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to a ‘pensions summit’ next Thursday (March 31) which will allow unions to put their views to ministers on the future of public sector pensions.

TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said, 'Unions welcome this opportunity to put their members’ views to ministers and the government’s assurance that all aspects of their proposals are open to discussion and negotiation. We all hope that the Summit will be a productive first step in sorting out the future of public sector pensions.'

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Press release (300 words) issued 23 Mar 2005